PSAs Say No to Drugs

Recognize this image? Over the years, the anti-drug public service announcements and have become a part of pop-culture. They've been spoofed on TV, in movies and seen a revival on YouTube.

As the debate over the legalization of marijuana continues, here is a look back at the anti-drug messages through the years:

Credit: Office of Nat. Drug Control Policy

In this 1968 ad warning against cigarettes, Yogi Bear says that it's best to "never start smoking." The ad was made by the American Cancer Society and Hanna Barbera Productions.

Credit: Hanna Barbera Productions, Inc.

Here is another shot from an anti-drug announcement using Hanna Barbara cartoons, showing the man that Yogi Bear warned was "puffing his little head off." The ad was made by the American Cancer Society and Hanna Barbera Productions.

Credit: Hanna Barbera Productions, Inc.

In 1970, the efforts continued with Hanna Barbara. This PSA warned that smoking marijuana would lead to trying other drugs and eventually to death.

Credit: Hanna Barbera Productions, Inc.

By the 1980s, more cartoons, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, were getting on the anti-drug bandwagon. This PSA showed the cartoon characters interacting with real-life kids.

Credit: Partnership for a Drug-Free America

So were real celebrities, like Pee-Wee Herman. "Everybody wants to be cool," he warned in his PSA. "But doing it with crack isn't just wrong. It could be dead wrong."

Credit: Office of Nat. Drug Control Policy

The Los Angeles Lakers were the stars of another PSA, in which they made a music video advising viewers to "just say no to drugs...just say yes to life."

Credit: Office of Nat. Drug Control Policy

Dramatic metaphors were also used in the 1980s, like in this PSA which advised, "Know what you're jumping into."

Credit: Partnership for a Drug-Free America

The most memorable PSA is the one with the fried egg. It was named one of the Top 100 TV ads ever by TV Guide. It was remade in 1998, starring actress Rachel Leigh Cook, seen here. She smashes not just the egg, but everything else in the kitchen, representing the family, friends and future of an individual who does drugs. She then asks, "Any questions?"

Credit: Partnership for a Drug-Free America

Today, as in years past, the style of the PSAs mirror youth culture. This recent one resembles a YouTube Video.